The number of reporters and media personnel currently working to bring nonstop live news via social media from Ferguson, Missouri seems to be growing by the hour, and it certainly makes it difficult to separate the valid news sources from those who are misleading. However, Animal New York’s Amy K. Nelson has been Tweeting constant updates of firsthand observations, events and even arrests as they unfold in Ferguson, as she provided an incredible account of last night’s standoff between police and protesters, some arrests of citizens for violations of the curfew, and even one man in handcuffs being maced.

Earlier this evening, Nelson recorded and shared cell phone video of veteran Getty photographer Scott Olson being arrested for allegedly not staying in a “certain area” that police told media personnel to remain in. While details are unknown, the video shows that the officers certainly weren’t in the mood to explain.

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Additionally, here are three clips that show the arrest of an unnamed citizen, as the officer repeatedly asks if he has “anything illegal” on him.

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Correct me if I am wrong but more than likely these people are just being taken into custody or detained not sure of the technical term… NOT arrested though arrested means you are being charged with something… I have seen enough episodes of cops to know that the police can and will handcuff you and put you in the back of a squad car to defuse a situation or collect information and then release the individual…. there is a lawyer somewhere in the hallows of uproxx that I remember from another thread perhaps he/she can chime in and clarify

Also, I don’t fully understand the continuation of the “protests” we know who the cop is where he lives he’s not going any where. Regardless of what or why this is still America and he has the right to due process and we all know that takes time but it will happen now just as it did for Zimmerman so are they protesting to hurry the process? “justice now” is the chant but do they understand it doesn’t work that way with the legal system…. having said that if people want to protest after the result of that trial is concluded than it makes sense to me, because if history shows us anything it will be that the verdict will not be accepted regardless of how severe or not severe it ends up being.

Your knowledge of Cops intrigues me. On this TV show, is it pretty common for cops to ask someone that they’re detaining if they have anything on them that the cops should know about? The article seems to think that’s a weird question to ask, so I wanted to get your expertise.

The article also says that the police “certainly” weren’t in the mood to answer questions based on the videos, but they seem to only be three or four seconds long for me, which doesn’t seem long enough to discern anything. Maybe they aren’t loading properly for me.

@Mendel yes, cops do frequently ask if people have anything illegal on them, they usually search them regardless of the answer, and they are hoping of preventing themselves and surrounding individuals from harm by accidentally grabbing a needle or blade or chemical substance unknowingly.

I never said I was an expert. In fact in the previous post I mentioned that there is an uproxx commentator that is a lawyer or law student and would know more information than I do. I can’t remember what articles he has commented on in the past but he knew what he was talking about

Instagram and twitter are very poor sources to get your news from due to their limited seconds and characters. I don’t know the full account of what happened during these videos nor did I claim to and I did not make any assumptions as to what or why this happened. I simply just don’t think the individuals in both sets of videos are technically being arrested.

The fact of the matter is most people MYSELF included are not entirely familiar with the difference between detained, taken into custody, arrested, charged with etc.
Does Amy Nelson have a criminal law degree? Has she studied to become a police officer? How familiar is she with local law enforcement procedures?

Because these so called “protests” you are so inexplicably confused by, are the only way an entire group of human beings can express the injustice that they feel on a day to day basis that negatively affects their lives, and they are hoping, wishing, desperately wanting a change to happen.

Now I know it might be a stretch for you to comprehend, but not everyone in this country, much less the world, sees things equally. They demand a change to the status quo, and when all other avenues have failed them, they can turn to peaceful protest in order to bring awareness of their struggle.

But I imagine in your world, those protests of the 60s were pretty much irrelevant. Why did they need to bother with protesting to cause a change in thinking? They should have just gone back home. Things were fine just the way they were.

@Sloth don’t you think protesting is irrelevant for a different reason? You know, how something done in the 60s may no longer be the most effective form of evoking change? Perhaps the technology you’re currently using would be a better outlet?

Never mind the fact that change, beyond investigating the death of this kid and potentially charging the cop, may not be necessary.